Truth in Advertising

Brenda’s Blog – December 29, 2020

I laughed as I opened the new package of face masks. Across the front were the words: One Size Fits Most. I have items from bathrobes, socks, shower caps, and sweater coats which proudly boast “One size fits all.” The key is in defining fit, isn’t it?
A sock company has emerged with the sole purpose of differentiating sizes. “How can a size 9 adequately serve a size 11?” the ad asks. You are being underserved and your feet are paying the price for this gross generalization is the unspoken message. You deserve customized foot coverings.

As I thought about it the phrase took on broader applications. What about encouragement? What about love? One size definitely doesn’t fit all.

My dearly loved daughter in law is designed to see and appreciate details. To flippantly throw out “you did a good job,” or even “you look nice today” do not satisfy. They roll off without leaving a residue of encouragement. Knowing this I decided years ago to develop my ability to specifically speak words of hope and love. Out of this desire came the MMM (Monday Morning Message). Each week I send her an email expressing very focused ways I am grateful for her. By now they have become very newsy and chatty, but they started out as a way I could share my love for her in her language.

The outcome far exceeds the initial effort. My love and appreciation for her has grown into a deep and lasting friendship. Seeing her exceptional gifts for parenting, as well as loving my son, evoke profound emotions. If I had never tried very hard to find the size that fits her, I may have missed some precious exchanges.

I had a friend who always encouraged me to triage projects. There are some which only require “cheap and cheerful,” he would say. Every job doesn’t require the same amount of effort. He was saying, “Brenda, one size doesn’t fit all,” wasn’t he?

Reading the classic book on love languages taught me to explore the hearts of others, discovering the way they receive and acknowledge love. We aren’t all the same. When we find what translates, our interactions are more fruitful. We tend to assume our love language is the same for all – but we short circuit relationships with this faulty thinking.

“One size fits most” is certainly truth in advertising for face coverings, but misses the mark when uncovering human chemistry.

Climbing Out of the Dumps

Weekly Thought – December 29, 2020

Fred managed his emotions objectively. However, he acknowledged the dark times. He created operating principles for depression. In his later years he was on dialysis three times a week, confined to a bed, and greatly restricted. He experienced the benefit years of mental and emotional discipline provided. These thoughts are particularly applicable for today. An editorial note: Fred wasn’t addressing clinical depression which requires serious professional attention.

Climbing Out of the Dumps

Very few of us totally escape depression. For some, it is the blues. For others, the blahs. Some wander aimlessly suffering boredom while excessive sleeping, eating, or drinking provide ways of dealing. In depression we may get moody and generally unhappy, or even angry enough to strike out at someone we love. These, and many other manifestations, are fruit of the depression tree. If the problem gets too large to handle personally, then we need professional help. But let’s just talk about ways we can help ourselves by establishing a routine to follow. I want to focus on one part of this routine: activity.

Denial isn’t the answer. Pity those who escape into frenzied, though fake, enthusiasm screaming about how well they feel and how happy they are. One man I knew had his brain and mouth on automatic response when asked, “How are you?” “GREAT! If I felt any better I would have to see a doctor!” That was not only a shallow, but nonsensical answer. It is sad to see someone create such a façade that hides all true feelings, just for the sake of self-image. Fake feelings usually lead to failure.

It is so much better when we respect others’ concern we can answer honestly, “Things are so-so right now, but I have felt this way before and I will get over it.” We know others are prepared to hear the details of our most intimate ups and downs, or want a long discourse on all variations of our emotional life, but most care and understand enough for us to give them a brief, honest answer.

Mild depressions come from time to time and therefore, we need a procedure for handling them. First for me is to get busy physically – doing something is better than doing nothing. Often it is better to do something physical which gives us quick results. The accomplishment helps lift the weight. The activity opens the door for hope. While it’s tough to find someone to play tennis at 3 AM, or it is discourteous to run the power saw, there are all-night restaurants where you can go and watch fascinating people. Occasionally, when I am down I find a place where observing the night owls helps me wipe away the night sweats.

The secret is to act immediately before the desire to be miserable gets concretized. If we wait too long this desire starts looking sensible. Beware of building a case for sympathy which we think is totally deserved. I don’t know why we like to be miserable sometimes, but I am convinced we do. Maybe we just want a change in our routine. Or think of the poor fellow who kept hitting himself because it felt so good when he stopped. I once knew a creative type who actually worked at making himself miserable before starting to write. He believed misery energized his creative juices.

Physical activity is just one aspect of the program, but I do believe it is key. Inactivity makes us more self- oriented and introspective – which is exactly what we don’t need. For me it is “Get Busy.”

This week think carefully about: 1) What is my routine for handling the down times? 2) How well do I manage emotional ups and downs? 3) When am I most vulnerable to depression??

Words of Wisdom: “Fake feelings lead to failure.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober, and set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:13 NET Bible)

The Value of Good Habits

Weekly Thought – December 22, 2020

Fred spoke often of disciplines for successful living. He considered the cultivation of habits a necessary practice for maturity. He strongly encouraged those around him to initiate systems of disciplined thinking which resulted in disciplined actions. In 1961 he was the keynote speaker for a Printing Industry of America national conference. This week’s email is excerpted from that address.

The Value of Good Habits

Nearly everything you have done today has been habitual. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have made it through the day. Good habits save time and energy. The Lord created our bodies to do things which habitually which keep us alive. If we had to decide to breathe each time our life span would probably be much shorter.

This is one of the problems with industrial reorganization. The habit structure is upset and operations slow down tremendously. It takes time to rebuild habits.

Here are some good habits to cultivate in your business:

1) Create a spirit in your organization that accepts challenges. Don’t allow people to get in the pattern of telling you why things cannot be done. When they begin, respond with “I know that. Tell me what we need to change in order to get it done.”

2) Change is okay; status quo is not. You know status quo is Latin for “the mess we are in.”

3) Accept ideas. As the leader you must engage with and incorporate new ideas before the organization will.

4) Don’t delay failures.

5) Get management on the offense. How many times do you see management fighting back instead of leading?

6) Develop the habit of good work. The President of one of my client companies told me, “Fred, I want everyone in my organization to step back from a completed task and say, ‘That’s good.’” Recently a 12 year old boy was recognized for saving his baby sister from a house fire using techniques learned in Boy Scouts. When asked about his actions he confidently responded, “I did a good job.”

7) Examine the things you are proud of. You have to watch this one carefully. The other day I was meeting with a company. When they outlined their accomplishments we examined them and found that many of them should have stopped long ago. Because they were proud of them they continued even after they had outlived their effectiveness.

8) Work smarter rather than harder. It is a mistake to applaud the efforts of someone for simply working harder. My mentor Maxey Jarman told me as a young executive “Show me the baby, don’t tell me about the labor pains.”

I know I haven’t told you anything you don’t already know. My job isn’t to tell you something new; my job is to remind you. I hope during this time together I have reminded you good habits are a key to successful living. Find one that works for you and make it real in your organization, your family, and your community.

This week think about: 1) Which of these 8 was the most helpful reminder? 2) How serious am I about establishing good habits even if that process causes some temporary disequilibrium? 3) Who can I help by sharing Fred’s ideas?

Words of Wisdom: “Good habits save time and energy.”

Wisdom from the Word: “For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline among you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:7 NET Bible)

Gesturing Effectively

Weekly Thought – December 15, 2020

Fred’s reputation as a nationally-recognized speaker began at an early age. Raised in the home of a fiery Southern Baptist preacher he studied the styles of many. His love of communication lasted throughout his lifetime. Men and women came to learn from him, even until the last days of his life. This week’s selection is a discussion of speaking from a very specific aspect – gesturing. As you watch presentations, think about Fred’s observations.

Gesturing Effectively

Gestures have a vocabulary all their own. The Spanish painter Goya charged as much to paint just the hands as he did a face because most artists will tell you they are the most difficult part of the body to capture.

Delsarte studied how hands show emotion. He got so good he could sit in a park and tell whether a baby was held by a nanny, or the mother, just by the intensity of the hands. I, too, am interested in what hands say. When I watch a speaker, I focus on the hands. I want to see if the gestures are spontaneous or programmed. I want to see whether the spontaneous gestures are repetitious or varied. My friend Haddon Robinson has one of the finest pairs of hands I know. I have tried to count the different formations his hands make, and the number gets astronomical. Yet they’re absolutely spontaneous, and they’re in harmony with what he’s saying and with the sound of his voice. He has a large vocabulary of words and gestures.

One of our former presidents could say something like “You know I love you,” but he would make a hacking gesture. Some psychiatrist friends who studied his gestures told me, “His hands tell you how much he really loves you.” You don’t use a hacking motion with a genuine expression of love.

Great conductors, for example, will often set aside the baton because they can communicate more clearly with their hands. The orchestra can read the hands more readily than the baton which can give the tempo, but not the nuance.
Many people telegraph what they are going to say with their hands. They’ll let you know what’s coming before they actually say it. The hands come alive before the voice does. The audience detects this even if unaware of what is being communicated.

The pointed finger rarely creates a friendly atmosphere. We think of the teacher who points before reprimanding.

In my experience I have found people who do not have effective gestures, but are willing to learn. Too many people hinder themselves because they are afraid to try. Any time we want to develop new skills we must start by giving ourselves permission to try (and possibly fail at first). With gestures the key is simply to make sure they are spontaneous, representing both the voice and the mind. A good speaker gives himself/herself permission to learn how to vary them to increase effective expression.

Here is an example: If you are going to be delivering a climactic statement, do not get intense too soon. It’s better to relax your body and back away about a half step from the audience. Then just before you come to that statement step toward the audience and straighten up. That way your body, as well as your voice projects the message.

The eyes are critical in speaking… almost as important as the voice. There is a temptation to zero in on a few attentive people in the front of the room. Speakers often overcome their insecurity and nervousness by addressing their remarks to this group. This is an error. I tell young speakers to think of the farmer who is feeding the chickens… “You have to throw the corn wide enough for everyone to get some.”

Gestures lend emphasis and color to words. Your emotions overflow into your gestures and become one of the most powerful parts of your body language. What you say is either enhanced or diminished by your repertoire of gestures, so it is a good place to focus if you want to develop your speaking skills.

This week carefully consider: 1) How conscious am I of a speaker’s gestures? 2) What am I doing to develop my own vocabulary of gestures? 3) When have I sent a mixed message because my words and my gestures were not in sync?

Words of Wisdom: “With gestures the key is simply to make sure they are spontaneous, representing both the voice and the mind.”

Wisdom from the Word: “A person will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words, and the work of his hands will be rendered to him.” Proverbs 12:14 NET Bible)

A Good Day

Brenda’s Blog – December 15, 2020

“Mom, this was a good day to be a good day, wasn’t it?”

My friend’s son summed up their family time at the lake as he went to bed. In his child’s way he expressed a profound truth.

We are completing a year when the definition of a good day has changed. Ordinarily it could easily be considered a successful in person business meeting, a large family gathering, a rousing dinner around a favorite restaurant’s round table. But new measures are now required. A productive ZOOM call, a facetime phone call, an almost hot carry out meal, or certainly a home delivery of groceries substitute for the personal interactions.

But shouldn’t we shift with the circumstances? Howard Hendricks, beloved and eminent professor at Dallas Theological Seminary was famous for his sharp, witty retorts. During one class a student attempted to explain away his poor performance, “But Prof, this was the best I could do under the circumstances.” Without batting an eye, Dr. Hendricks responded, “Sir, what are you doing under there?”
My generation prides itself on adaptability. We carry cell phones; we spend hours on social media (even if it is not the most current platform); we adapt to the newest “hacks” (which will always be known as shortcuts to me). We refuse to think of ourselves as old even though 80 is way closer than 70.

But the pandemic has made us climb under the circumstances. We talk about wanting life to go back to normal. We post nostalgic memes expressing the desire for life to be like it was in the 50s or 60s. The quickest way to get old is to step into cultural concrete.

David the Psalmist asked the Lord to allow him years to teach the next generation of His power, might, and goodness. What better way for us to show the reality of our faith than to exercise it fully during these not so good days? We have a sterling opportunity to speak loudly in words and actions for the adequacy of the Lord God. Let’s wake up to the privilege of telling those coming behind that today is a good day for a good day.

Gather Around the Vision

Weekly Thought – December 8, 2020

Fred appreciated men and women of vision. He said, “one of a leader’s functions is to coagulate followers around the vision, not around himself or herself.” At this time when planning is being assessed and evaluated, Fred’s thoughts are helpful.

COVID directly impacted the Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute. However, the ripples from years past still demonstrate the effects. The Weekly Thoughts have continued without interruption. In an email we received this week, the influence of the Weekly Thoughts was mentioned: “I truly feel like one of the students that you have graciously mentored through BWFLI. The October 27th weekly thought spoke directly to my heart as I’m processing my transition.” These weekly emails are nearly 16 years in production. May the gifts God gave to Fred continue to be shared as they seek to stretch and bless.

Gather Around the Vision

Genuine leadership gathers people around the purpose of the organization. Toward that end, leaders need to recognize several subtle dynamics.

1) Decisions are not commitments. The first is immediate; the second is the long term working out. For example, in evangelism we see a lot of decisions. It is right to talk about a response to the Gospel and an “on the spot” decision. The commitment comes as part of the maturing process. If a person or an organization never moves from decision to commitment operations look much like New Year’s Resolutions – with a similar outcome. The leader is to envision a way to move from decision to commitment. I have observed that this process needs both the spoken and written forms. Speakers are effective at bringing people to a decision point, but generally it takes the written word to bring people to a long lasting commitment. Wise leaders know when they get a decision (even a group decision) that isn’t equivalent to commitment. A tragic managerial mistake is assuming the first step is enough without securing the second.

2) Recognize the “driving wheels.” There is a difference between people who provide the momentum in a group and those who just go along for the ride. Wise leaders know if they get the driving wheels committed, they can bring the others along. A bumpy ride is ahead for organizations who miss this step. The best way to persuade the driving wheels is not with emotion, but comprehension. My good friend, Jack Turpin, first discussed this with me. He had no lasting respect for short term excellence. “Anybody who can reach excellence should try to sustain it.” He believed the only way people will perform excellently over the long term is if they fully comprehend what they are doing. A decision based on emotional fervor won’t last; a fully comprehended commitment will. The way to motivate the driving wheels is to ask, “Do you agree this is something worth doing? If so, let’s commit to doing it together.”

3) Know when it is time to change the vision. Leaders know that situations don’t stay the same forever. We see this in the church as we study demographic trends. For a local church to maintain its vitality and often its viability, it must look at the makeup of the congregation. To assume a static position on means and methods can result in loss. Sadly, many have lost the promise of future leadership by ignoring shifts and alienating younger congregants. It is critical to measure the vision and see if it is getting the desired results. Churchill is famous for saying, “never, never, never, never give up.” But it is just as important to know that “when the horse is dead, dismount.”

Leaders must be honest about the vision, the effort required, and the reasons for expending it. Lasting motivation is really persuasion by comprehension. If you have to hide the reasons you want a person or an organization to follow, you are probably manipulating and unlikely to find long term commitment or sustained excellence.

This week carefully consider: 1) How well do I communicate my personal and professional visions? 2) What am I doing to be certain I don’t use manipulation? 3) Where do I need to focus as I anticipate next year?

Words of Wisdom: “Wise leaders know when they get a decision (even a group decision) that isn’t equivalent to commitment.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Commit your future to the LORD. Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.” (Psalm 37:5 NET Bible)

Question Me This

Weekly Thought – December 1, 2020

Fred’s reputation for asking questions developed a strong following among those who wanted to acquire this skill. In various situations he formulated a series of questions he asked himself and others. This excerpt specifically addresses a way to look at difficult times.

Question Me This

Major trouble challenges our priorities. It also revises, and I might even say, purifies. We decide what really matters. Trouble also gives us an opportunity to look at the situation realistically and assess the odds. A friend, when faced with leukemia said, “I had always believed in God but for most of my life I couldn’t make sense of spiritual things, so I chose to just ignore the subject. I knew I would have to deal with my personal spirituality someday, but I wasn’t in any hurry to get around to it. Cancer changed that.” Often we see people who say, “After I get rich, I’ll get righteous.” This is the deception of money: it can distract us from what really matters. Instead of being a means – it becomes the end. Trouble can alter that perception in a hurry.

Major difficulties make us distill the essence of life in at least three basic ways spurring us to ask three questions:

1) What are my genuine necessities? So much of our time and effort is spent (or wasted)on the superficialities of life.
2) We ask ourselves “who am I becoming.” I once asked a man if he is becoming who he wanted to be. His answer: “Oh, no, but I intend to – someday.”
3) How do I want to be remembered? We see wealthy donors who want names on buildings; politicians who desire an historical legacy; and parents who want children who walk in faith. I am reminded of Fannie Crosby, the blind hymnist who wrote thousands of well-known and loved hymns. Her tombstone carries the simple epitaph: “Aunt Fannie: she did what she could.”

When we have answered these three questions we know how to spend out time, energy, and resources. The answers build a framework for prioritizing (and often re-prioritizing). We are stewards of our gifts and talents. Good management requires periodic assessment to make sure we are making the “highest and best” use of them.

At the beginning of the dark financial days of the 1980s a socially prominent couple came to see me. They told of sitting down and making a list of people with whom they spent time. Then they went back and made a second list of those who would be their friends if they went broke. This list was considerably shorter than the first. They went on to say they rearranged their social schedule to spend time with the second group.

Troubled times clarify. They prompt us to do a personal inventory and answer tough, but important questions.

This week carefully consider: 1) What am I learning during this challenging time? 2) Which question most quickly gets my attention? 3) How am I taking a personal inventory right now?

Words of Wisdom: “Major difficulties make us distill the essence of life spurring us to ask questions.”

Wisdom from the Word: “When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge him with difficult questions.” (1 Kings 10:1 NET Bible)

Keeping Up Appearances

Brenda’s Blog – December 1, 2020

In 1990 a British comedy debuted on public television. It gathered an immediate audience who faithfully watches the reruns to this day.

One episode features Hyacinth conversing with her husband Richard as they await the arrival of the new Vicar and his wife. She bemoaned the fact that her roses didn’t climb as high as her social aspirations.

The dialogue has a great spiritual application:

Hyacinth: “Why are my roses not as large as the ones next door?”

Richard: “They’re a different variety, Hyacinth”

Hyacinth: “I don’t like our roses not being as big as those next door. I wanted the Vicar to be greeted by a blaze of petal glory. Are you neglecting them?”

Richard: “This variety only grows to this size.”

Hyacinth: “I am sure if you tried harder…”

The Spirit of God endows us all with gifts to be nurtured, pruned, and used to bless others. Sadly, we, like Hyacinth, look over the spiritual bushes and yearn for the seemingly larger gifts of others. We want to make a splash in the Christian world – we want to be seen as a blaze of petal glory.

But we grow according to our plan and our variety. The smaller roses of Richard’s garden fit perfectly into the limited space of their English garden. The proportion suited the situation. Likewise, we are perfectly designed to “bloom where we are planted” as the needlepoint pillows and kitchen wall plaques remind us.

God didn’t intend for us to try harder to be something we aren’t. He didn’t us to criticize or demean. He created us for a clear purpose and equipped us to bring His beauty and blessing with the aroma of His love and goodness.

Let’s not be staring across the hedge wanting to be someone else. Let’s thankfully blossom with the greatness of God and the benefits of His kindness. Let’s give up trying harder and focus on the perfection of the gifts He has chosen for us.

Evidences of an Educated Heart

Weekly Thought – November 24, 2020

Fred dedicated his life to learning – and encouraging others to grow. Before it was a popular phrase, Fred exemplified the “lifelong learner.” He believed part of the answer of God’s purpose for our lives is identifying where we hunger for deeper understanding.

Evidences of an Educated Heart

One evidence of an educated heart is the realization of self-worth. I like to hear a Christian say, “I feel good about myself.” Understanding the difference between self-worth and self-esteem is critical. We can appreciate who we are because we are given gifts by God.

A friend of mine who is a professor at a Catholic university told me “true dignity happens when genuine pride and genuine humility unite.” We in the evangelical community think of pride and humility as being antonyms when actually they are two sides of the same coin. Don’t you feel you can be justly proud of being a child of God – a member of the family.

A wealthy business friend in Boston with his wife invited a young girl living on the streets to move in with them for a year. Each night after dinner he would repeat the catechism he developed for her. “Why does God love you?” She would answer “Not because I am good but because I am precious.” Then he asked, “Why are you precious?” “Because Christ died for me” was the response. I told that story to an audience in East Texas. Afterwards a small woman in her 80s came up and said, “Thank you. All my life I wanted to be precious and now I know I am.”

You unite that pride with genuine humility and you have a truly educated heart. I like to define humility as “not denying the power you have but admitting it comes through you and not from you.” Denying the gift is lying; attributing it to God is truth telling. Some people think they are showing humility by bad-mouthing themselves. That is disrespecting God. In this we dignify what God has given.

Another evidence of an educated heart is a homing sense. That is, a sense for home. Just as the homing pigeon never loses their direction the educated heart never loses the sense of the Father’s house and our spiritual home. It is too easy to get lost chasing the dollar, or fame, or even service. Christians will be brought back through the homing instinct built into us by the Spirit.

I once met a CEO who talked about climbing the corporate ladder and putting his faith aside as not applicable to his business life. As he made decisions he started to see a relationship between the good decisions and the “old time religious principles” he learned growing up. He told me he finally made the decision to “come home” and realign himself with his faith.

An educated heart understands that he or she may have tremendous success, piloting bigger and bigger ships in larger and larger waters. But the largest vessel still bows to the instruction of the lighthouse. Never neglect the lighthouse in your harbor which marks your way home.

This week carefully consider: 1) How clear am I on my God-given gifts? 2) What reminds me that I am precious to God? 3) How strong is my homing instinct?

Words of Wisdom: “Humility is not denying the power you have, but admitting it comes through you and not from you.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Do not let mercy and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3 NET Bible)

The God of Process

Weekly Thought – November 17. 2020

Fred worked hard all his life. He grew up in the home of a Baptist preacher in the mill district of North Nashville. He understood the relationship between effort and results. He didn’t live asking for miracles to “fill in the gaps” created by the wish ethic. He believed strongly in the work ethic.

The God of Process

I’m disturbed by the number of people who talk about God as a miracle worker. I believe in the miracles of the Bible. I believe that He is capable of miracles today. But I do not believe the majority of His work is done miraculously. All that He does have wonder and awe; but I am leery of those that use miracle I the sense of “I am special.” I have encountered young people who are eager to tell me they’ve had two miracles in the morning and are looking for another in the afternoon. Spiritual immaturity.

On the other hand, we have those who believe that everything can be done by devotion alone. By that I mean a verse of scripture and a rote prayer substitute for hard work. I believe in devotion; I practice devotion. Too often those who espouse this formulaic mindset come up to me with a very pious tone to tell me, “Brother Fred if you are in trouble, read Job. Tell me and I will put you on my prayer list.” I am thankful to be on prayer lists, but I don’t believe in this simplistic approach. I believe problems need to be analyzed and answers found. A sad example is my good friend whose “devotional” wife took away his medication needed for a serious stomach ailment telling him he just needed to pray more. I don’t believe God works that way.

The danger of making everything miracle based is that it is egocentric. Too many who lean on devotion are actually operating from denial and escapism. I am convinced they are looking for the product while ignoring the process.
Here are a few principles I find for process thinking:

1) We are positioned in grace, through faith; we share the glory of God by His gift.
2) We are to rejoice in sufferings for trials and many times fiery trials) will come. We don’t rejoice in anticipation, but in participation. Paul rejoiced as he shared in the sufferings of Jesus.
3) Suffering brings endurance. My Mother, who brought five boys out of the slums would say at family devotional time: “Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.” She was tired. She was doing constant work, even in ill health. But she was determined to bring the boys out of the slums. Let me say to you mothers: she paid a price for that, but even in today’s affluent (especially in today’s materialistic culture) you are paying a price to raise Godly children, as well. Endurance is not measured by a balance sheet.
4) Character comes from endurance. I didn’t say personality, but character. God isn’t interested in building sparkling personas but in conforming our inner core to that of His Son.
5) Hope is a quality that permits my friend Steve Brown to say as he hangs up our frequent phone calls: “Hang tough; hang in there, babe.”
6) The ultimate object of hope is the unconditional love of God.

His process moves us from grace through faith to His unconditional love – not a bad way to invest our lives!

This week think carefully about: 1) How often do I slack on the effort and then expect a miracle? 2) How clearly do I understand the passage from salvation to glorification? 3) What excites me right now about being a Christian?

Words of Wisdom: “The problem with miracle-based thinking is that it is egocentric.”

Wisdom from the Word: “So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Colossians 6:9 NET Bible)

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